Sanjeev Gupta calls in rival to help Whyalla steelworks strife

Sanjeev Gupta’s stricken Whyalla steelworks has brought in rival BlueScope to try to speed up a fix-it plan for the ageing plant as some customers turn to imports from Asia to fill a production shortfall.

A blast furnace problem has meant the Whyalla plant in South Australia has been unable to make steel for seven weeks, and some of its large customers have put in extra orders with steelmakers in Vietnam, South Korea and Taiwan.